More than lightning can strike
by Maydrei
Summary: So, Ichigo helps Rukia out with one of her fears. He begins to notice his feelings and does his best to ignore them...which isn't easy when she crawls into his bed every night seeking comfort and warmth.
1. Lullaby&Lightning

First time on Fanfictions...so please review...don't own characters.

::Chapter one::

As usual, Ichigo was sprawled out on his bed, and Rukia was tucked up in the closet. It was just after midnight, and Rukia was sleeping deeply.

A thunderclap crashed against her ears and she bolted up, terrified. The noise hadn't wakened up her roommate; he only groaned and rolled over. Rukia, on the other hand, was looking around, frightened. What was that noise?!

A second clap boomed out and she cried out and hugged herself, but of course didn't see anything.

But she had woken Ichigo. Annoyed, he sat up, grumbled to himself, and reluctantly slid open the closet door. Rukia started and was about to scream when Ichigo quickly covered her mouth, seeing what she was about to do. "What are you screaming at?"

She only stared up at him, relieved. Had he been making that noise?

Ichigo removed his hand and yawned. He saw how she clutched at her sides and asked, "What's wrong? You're—"

There was a third smash and Rukia flinched, instinctively grabbing out at Ichigo and pulling herself into his chest. He stiffened, confused and alarmed, then realized what was wrong. "Are you afraid of the thunder?" He tried to remove himself, but Rukia looked up at him and he blinked. She looked really scared—he had never seen her like that before.

"W-we don't have this at the Soul Society…" she whispered, her voice weak. "What is that?" Flinching again as the thunder sounded again, she decided that it had to be evil, to make her feel so helpless that she needed to hold onto her (sometimes) friend.

"Don't worry, Rukia, it's a type of weather. It can't hurt you," Ichigo said, wishing that she would release him. He slept shirtless, so of course this made it all the more awkward for him, though Rukia was too frightened to notice. He wanted to go back to sleep.

"I'm not to sure!" she whispered. No way could he not be even a little bit nervous!

"Rukia, I promise it won't hurt you, so please go back to bed," Ichigo grumbled, then hesitated. She had thrown a furious and yet pleading look at him, and her form trembled against him. "Look, if you're really that scared, just sleep in my bed," he offered.

Rukia shook her head and said in a shaking voice, "No, I'm going so low as—"

Thunder boomed, and she cried out, throwing herself completely at him. Ichigo stumbled back a bit in surprise, but hurriedly wrapped an arm around her so she wouldn't fall. "Don't kid yourself, Rukia. And what do you mean as 'so low as'…?" he grumbled, shifting her against him.

She felt like an idiot, but it was better than being alone in a dark, tiny room. She allowed him to gently set her on the bed, struggling not to flinch as lightning danced across the window. Ichigo sighed and slipped into the bed, making sure that he didn't touch her. Even with his eyes closed he could tell that she was trembling, feeling it through the mattress.

Trying to distract herself, Rukia asked, "I-Is it always so freezing?" In the closet, she was always warm, probably because the closet was tiny.

"Yeah," Ichigo grumbled, "but you get used to it."

Rukia could tell that he wanted to go to sleep and kept her mouth closed, and her eyes. Which she immediately realized was a pointless action as once again thunder barreled through the room.

With a small cry Rukia closed the distance between them in the time it took to blink, pressing herself into his chest as if he could block out the horrible noise. Ichigo sighed, getting annoyed. But what could he do? He wouldn't yell at her for getting scared, and it was only a knee-jerk reaction to reach out.

"Are you going to keep doing that?"

No answer.

"Look, if you are, here—" Ichigo quickly flipped her so that her back was facing him and settled one arm over her. "Better?"

She responded by scooting as close as she could against him, her small hands holding tightly to his arm. Rukia no longer cared about how embarrassing this was, all she wanted was to feel safe. Curling up her knees, she nodded, saying, "Thanks."

Ichigo only scowled, horribly embarrassed. His arm ran over her hip, and Rukia's hands had pinned his own by her so it brushed her breast. And, to top it off, every time thunder sounded Rukia would press against him, squirming. Her whole body would grow tight, her shoulders drawing in close to her body and her hands squeezing his, not to mention that she would pull it into her chest. She would so that for a few seconds, Ichigo electrically aware that her behind ground into his hips, then relax. Ichigo lay by her side stiffly, his face red.

He didn't know how much more he could take, and when he glanced at the clock, it showed him it was only two in the morning. So that was two hours of pure torture, and about four more hours of sexual tension building up in his body. Ichigo didn't know what would be worse, having her doing that throughout the night, or if she fell asleep, leaving her completely defenseless and lying against him with the feeling of her body against him branded firmly into his head.

After another thunderclap (Ichigo silently and furiously demanded how the hell the storm was still going strong) he gasped, "Rukia, don't move around so much!"

"I can't help it," she said apologetically. "It still scares me!"

Hoping that it would help her, he shifted and let his head hover over hers, humming a soft lullaby. Rukia sighed and titled her head towards him, a small smile on her lips. "That's nice," she whispered.

"It helped my sisters sleep when they were little," he said, feeling relieved at the weariness he heard in her voice. He kept humming, and after a few minuets not even the thunderclaps stirred her. Smiling, Ichigo let himself relax. He helped distract himself by continuing to hum the lullaby until he himself slipped into sleep.


	2. Can I stay here?

Rukia didn't want to wake up; she was too warm and comfortable. She sighed and cracked an eye open, immediately tensing. What was she doing in Ichigo's bed, with her head in the curve of his neck?! But then she calmed after remembering what had happened the previous night and smiled. Who knew Ichigo could be kind?

She yawned quietly and shifted, but something stopped her from sitting up. Looking down she saw that Ichigo's long arm was wrapped firmly around her body. Glancing at his face, she saw he was scowling slightly. Rukia frowned and reached down to his arm and tried to move it off her. Ichigo's scowl deepened and he suddenly pulled Rukia against him and rolled over, so his roommate was draped over his body. Rukia squirmed, but even in his sleep he kept a firm grip on her.

Rukia had to tell herself that he wasn't aware of what he was doing, so he didn't deserve to be hit. Placing her hands on both of his shoulders, Rukia pushed with all her might, but Ichigo only grumbled, not loosening his grip.

Rukia wondered how he could be so forceful and yet gentle at the same time. "Ichigo," she said loudly in his ear. "Ichigo! Wake up!"

He grumbled and stirred, his eyes opening.

"Oh, you're up," he noted sleepily.

She glared. "Let go of me," she hissed.

"Wha…?" he looked down at both of them. "Oh, sorry." Releasing her, Ichigo sat up and scratched his head. He looked out the window and saw that it was still stormy. Today was Sunday, so he didn't have to get out of bed early. He planned to regain those hours of sleep Rukia had kept out of his grasp and he settled back into bed with his back to her.

Rukia scowled at him and looked at the clock. It was only 6:30, and she hadn't slept very well. But then she hesitated, glancing at the closet door and Ichigo's broad back. She didn't want to leave the bed, but the horrible thunderclaps were no longer sounding.

"Hey, Ichigo…?" she asked quietly.

"Hm?" he grumbled.

"Can I stay here?"

"Well duh. It's Sunday, so there's no school."

"No…I mean in the bed," Rukia said, looking at his form nervously.

Ichigo yawned, "Go ahead. It's warmer with you anyway." He rolled to face her and held up the blanket. He was too sleepy to be thinking of anything about Rukia in the way he was last night, and it was freezing. Rukia slid in besides him, happy for the warmth and comfort. Ichigo yawned again and didn't even notice that he had slid his arm around her, quickly falling asleep. Rukia was now happy that she had chosen to stay in the bed, but she wasn't sure why. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that she felt safer with him…right?

She didn't have time to think that through before she fell asleep in her partner's arms.

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Ichigo was the first to wake up this time, and the clock showed he had slept for two hours. He was lying on his side, his face to the side so that his chin rested on the top of Rukia's head. She had curled up into a ball in her sleep, and his body had curled around her in response.

He carefully pulled his arm away and removed himself from the bed, slipping from the room. He scratched his head and entered the bathroom. As he waited for the water to heat up in the shower, he thought back to the previous night, and this morning. He and Rukia had slept together.

Not together, he corrected himself, even as his face reddened. Just, next to each other. Holding each other.

He quickly entered the shower, remembering how every curve of Rukia's body had brushed against his own, how she had clung to him when the thunder struck. Even her scent, it reminded him of snow. And what the hell was that, when she had asked to stay in his bed? She had a perfectly fine bed in the closet! Not that he minded at all. Hell, he enjoyed—

He hurriedly turned the nozzle so that the water turned icy, a hand to his face.It didn't help.

His thought back to when he had sung the lullaby to her. That was something that a lover would do, not friends or work partners! And before he had done that, he could easily remember the feel of her breast he got when she would pull him close, they were actually a lot bigger than he had—

No. _Stop that,_ he ordered himself. _Do _not _think about her breast size! It's Rukia! Little, annoying, pint-sized, bossy, Rukia! She has the drawing ability of a three year old! It doesn't matter if you spent an entire night in the same bed with her as she trembled against you, her soft skin pressing against yours, the way her tiny, delicate hands would cling to your arm—_

"Gah!" Ichigo shook his head, groaning. There must be something wrong with him. If he was aroused by Rukia, clearly there was something wrong with him!

Well, it wasn't his fault. He was a teenage boy, who wouldn't be turned on by a young girl pressed against him?Hell, he knew all his friends would. And since Rukia had been so scared, his protective instincts must have kicked in…yeah, that was it. It had to be.

Rukia woke up groggily, her arms wrapped around a soft object. She kept her eyes closed and breathed deeply, noticing it smelt just like Ichigo. Confused, she sat up and saw it was just a pillow.

Ichigo walked in, having dressed in the bathroom. His eyes glanced to Rukia, and then he sat down at his desk, opening his math text book. She saw what he was doing and began her own homework.

Ichigo kept glancing at her while working on the problems. She looked perfectly calm, so what was he worried about? He sighed. His protective instinct? Rukia was the toughest girl he knew, she didn't need protecting. He scowled and turned back to his book.


	3. scratches&wet clothes

The day passed quickly, Ichigo spent the day doing homework and chores, then in the afternoon watched some TV. Rukia had disappeared around noontime, and hadn't come back yet. When it was eleven o'clock he climbed the stairs and crawled into bed, having calmed down.

Well, he had, until he saw Rukia climbing through his window. It had begun raining again later in the day, so she was soaked. Her hair clung to her face and neck, and her shirt…well, let's just say it was white, and she was wearing a rather…lacey bra. Ichigo stared as she dropped to the floor and shook herself. Her skirt lifted a little bit as she did, and Ichigo caught view of more thigh than he was used to before he leaped from the bed and said, "I'll get you a towel," before striding out of the room.

So much for calming down.

_It's her fault, _he thought, aggravated at himself. _No, she just can't come in before she gets drenched. No, she has to wait until her clothes are completely soaked though! _Still scowling, he whipped a towel from the bathroom pile and marched back to his room, tossing the towel in her face. She caught it and quickly began rubbing it over her while Ichigo slammed the window shut and stood there until he was sure that she was a little drier.

When he turned around, Rukia was facing him. "You seem angry."

He only scowled once again and flopped onto the bed facedown.

"Okay, you _are _angry. Why?"

"I'm not angry," he growled.

He could almost feel the annoyed glare boring into his orange mop. "Yes you are."

"No, I'm not," he snapped.

"Ichigo, why are you denying it?"

"Rukia, go away!"

"I live here!"

"In my _closet!_" He really didn't want to talk to her, at least not until he cooled down. "Go in there!"

"And do what?" she demanded.

"What you always do!" He scowled and pulled back the blanket under him, jumping under it.

"Oh, real mature," Rukia snorted, moving over to him, "hiding under a blankey."

Without warning the door flew open, and Ichigo's dad burst in. Rukia disappeared in the blink of an eye, Ichigo picked himself up on his hands and knees, and the man burst out, "Ichigo! Who are you yelling at? It's late, and I'm trying to sleep!"

"Sorry Dad, I, uh, stubbed my toe," he said tightly, glaring down at Rukia, who had appeared under him. She glared back, her eyes furious. Ichigo struggled to keep his eyes on her face, even though he could feel her wet shirt against his wrist and her damp thigh pressing against his knee.

"Alright, but keep it down. You have school tomorrow." His dad closed the door behind him.

"Good going," Rukia spat. "Thanks to your yelling, I almost got caught!"

"My yelling? If you hadn't been annoying me, I wouldn't be yelling in the first place!" he hissed.

"If you hadn't been in such a crappy mood, this wouldn't have happened."

"Oh, sure, blame it on my mood," he said, sitting up. "Get out of my bed, you're getting it wet."

"Fine," she snapped, jumping to her feet. "Like I want to stay in it anyway."

"You were enjoying it last night," he snapped back, keeping his mind on the fight and not other…things.

Rukia spun and glared at him. "Oh, sure. So were you, I heard you in your sleep. You were crying out 'oh, Orihime!' and groaning," she lied, just to see his reaction.

"Yeah right! You think I would actually believe that?"

"You're so thick-headed I had to try it out!"

"_I'm _thickheaded?" he demanded. "You're one to talk!"

"Shut up!" Rukia snapped, shoving his shoulder. He growled and stood up.

"Don't touch me."

"Or what? You'll get your daddy to come and get me?"

"No, I'll come and get you," he said dangerously. Okay, maybe he had forgotten that he had started the fight on purpose. Now he was just ticked off.

"Like you can!" Rukia mocked, shoving him again. Ichigo grabbed her arms and pushed them off him so she had to take a few steps back or fall.

"You were saying?"

"Idiot!"

Ichigo growled and tackled Rukia, but not hard enough to hurt her. They fell to the ground, but Rukia was quick and easily gained control by flipping on top of him. They struggled to gain control, rolling around on the floor swapping insults. Ichigo was much stronger, but Rukia had him outmatched in speed. They wrestled for a while, finally with Ichigo on top, panting and pinning the girl to the floor. "Stop!" he ordered, tired and aggravated. Rukia continued to squirm under him even though he had a vise grip on her upper arms and a knee between her legs. Thankfully her clothes had dried. "There. You done yet?"

She only glared at him, then looked away in a huff.

Ichigo shook his head and lessened his force, but noticed a stinging on his shoulder. Glancing down, he saw a bite mark imprinted clearly on his skin. "…you…bit me…" he said disbelievingly.

Rukia stared at him. "I did not!" she protested, but it was weak. He definitely did not have that before.

"Ow…" Suddenly it started to really hurt. He rocked back onto his knees and rubbed it. "Good job, Rukia."

Rukia was about to apologize, but as she reassessed the situation—Ichigo pinning her down to the floor—so she kept her mouth closed. Instead she propped herself up on one elbow and reached out with her other hand, gently pulling back the fabric on his shoulder so she could see the damage.

Ichigo froze when he felt her soft fingertips brush away his shirt, then relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned into her touch slightly, his face losing his usual scowl and becoming calm.

Rukia didn't notice and sat up, brining up her free hand to gently run over the bite mark. "Don't worry," she said with authority, "it's not serious."

Ichigo opened his eyes quickly, praying she hadn't noticed, and looked to where he thought her head was. But since she had moved, he now had a clear shot down her shirt.

He jerked back and sprang to his feet, his face wildly red. Without hesitating he strode from his room, quickly descended the stairs, and burst out of the front door. He thanked the gods that it was raining and kept walking in his quick pace. He heard Rukia call his name from the window and walked faster.

After a few minuets he stopped. And started chuckling, that grew into a wild laughter. He had just run away from Rukia. Small, tiny, Rukia. What the hell was wrong with him? He could kick a hollow's ass, but one sight of Rukia's cleavage and he started trucking.

It was for her own good, he summarized. In that one moment, he had a sudden uncontrollable urge to…do things to her. Bad things. Dirty, vulgar things.

He stopped laughing, if only to catch his breath.

But then he started thinking. Could he really be that much of a horny teenager? Hell, he had seen a breast or two, Orihime's shirts tended to pop a button every now and then, and hadn't the urge to jump her. So why now? What had made that moment so different?

Of course, he immediately saw what it was. It was the girl. But…why _Rukia_? Why? How? He wasn't even sure if she was fully human, and he had the hots for her?

Ichigo sighed and looked up at the sky.

He heard what he didn't want to hear.

"Ichigo."

_Don't turn around. Don't—_

And there stood Rukia. Soaking wet—again. But this time she had pulled on a jacket, his favorite blue one. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he asked dully, looking back at the sky.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Rukia admitted, sounded annoyed. "I haven't been around humans for that long, but I'm pretty sure they don't go running out into the rain, barefoot," Ichigo glanced down at his feet, and realized she was right, "and just stare up at the sky as if waiting to get hypothermia."

"That's easy," he stated. "It means we're either insane—"

"That would explain a lot."

"—or just confused." He scuffed his foot on the ground, looking down. When he turned his face up, Rukia was watching him. "Alright, time to go home." Ichigo walked past her, back the way he came. Even as he passed, he could see that his jacket was way too big on her and smiled. Even through the rain, he could hear her sharp footsteps behind him.

Ichigo thought about his situation. Even if she did return his feelings, Ichigo couldn't see them actually being together. He didn't really think he wanted to either. So what the hell were the emotions he was feeling? He rejected the idea that he just wanted to sleep with her, because he knew that there was more attraction in her than that. So…

"Ichigo…? You've got a weird look on your face again."

"What? Oh, sorry." Ichigo shrugged and glanced down at her, smiling again. His jacket reached to her knees, and the arms were much too long. She tried to push the hair out of her face, but had to struggle to free her hand first.

A little irritated, she asked, "Are you going to tell me about what all that was about?"

"Nope."

He heard her give off an annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes. All he wanted to do now was go to bed—by himself. They walked quickly, wanting to get out of the cold rain. But, of course, they couldn't do that without some sick twist happening.

CRACK.

Rukia yelped and clung to Ichigo's arm. He stiffened, turning his head up to the sky. _You're enjoying this, aren't you? _he demanded silently.

Well, now the rain came down even harder. Ichigo glanced down at Rukia, but she was gone—dashing down the street. "Rukia!" he yelled, chasing after her. She probably would get lost in the storm, and he knew that she was terrified."Rukia—stop! Damn it!"

Her fear only made her faster, and Ichigo had a hell of a time catching her. She was sprinting towards the road, when she tripped on the sudden of the sidwalk. Ichigo caught her around the middle and heaved her back as another flash and thunder made themselves known. She squeaked and dug her nails into his arms.

"Ouch! Stop that!" he ordered, prying her hands off. "Gah! Rukia, that _hurts_!" He gave her a quick shake and she calmed down, trembling.

"Please tell me the house is close," she whimpered, now wrapping her arms around his left arm and keeping her nails to herself.

"It's just over there," he said wearily. He did not need a petrified teenage girl clinging to his arm at the moment, and quickly walked her to the door. She was in no state to jump through the window, or even release her partner from her death grip, so Ichigo had to lead her through the front door. Praying that his father had already gone to bed, he quickly sneaked up the stairs, and Rukia silently shadowed him, still trembling. The door closed behind them and Ichigo gently shook Rukia off.

Since she had been wearing his jacket, she was overall dry. But Ichigo was thoroughly drenched, and he yanked off his shirt, tossing it to the floor. Immediately deciding not to change his pants, he watched with dismay as Rukia discarded _his_ jacket and climbed into _his _bed, her face even paler than it usually was. She sat there, watching him with her big eyes, slightly pleading.

Not quite sure what he was feeling (it was a mix of reluctance, guilt, embarrassment, and some others) he walked over to the bed. Rukia was sitting at the very side of it, so he had to climb over her small frame. Even before he had settled himself, Rukia had scooted over to him. With a groan he lay on his back, and Rukia curled up against his side. He could still feel her shivering, but thunder hadn't sounded for a while. Sighing, he reluctantly lifted his arm up, and Rukia quickly seized the chance to move even closer to him. His arm settled down around her back.

"Rukia?"

She didn't say anything, but turned her head up.

"Do you actually feel safer like this?"

"It helps," she said quietly, resting her head on his chest. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably.

Minuets passed, and still the thunder didn't sound. But Rukia seemed perfectly satisfied to stay partially on him, still tense and expecting another booming crack. Ichigo wasn't about to ask her to get off him and go into her closet, either, because she would probably get angry.

So he laid there, the girl who was occupying most of his thoughts snuggling up to his chest, fast asleep. He forced himself to ignore her and stared at the ceiling. It took a while for sleep to take him, but when it finally came, it was a relief.


	4. We are not having sex!

Ichigo awoke and sleepily rolled over—right on top of Rukia. She didn't even wake up when he jerked away and fell off the bed. He rubbed his head and hurriedly got dressed, then gently woke her and left the room.

School that day went by slowly, and at lunch Ichigo could be found half-asleep at the table. His friend Keigo wasn't having any of it and pestered him.

"Leave me alone," he finally snapped. "I had a long night, alright?"

"That's no fun, Ichigo!" Keigo whined. He pouted for a moment, then paused. "Ichigo…what is that?" he leaned over and pulled his shirt shoulder aside, revealing the bite mark.

_Oh, great. _"It's nothing," he said quickly, jerking away, but Keigo had seen what it was.

"That…that was a bite-mark, wasn't it?" Keigo grinned devilishly. "So…is that what you meant by a long night?" he asked, his voice heavy with subjective tone.

Chad, who was sitting next to them, chuckled. I'm writing him in total OOC—fair warning "I noticed those scratch mark on his arms, too…" he said, grinning widely.

"Shut up!" Ichigo growled, his face growing dangerous.

"Aww, little Ichigo finally lost his virg—"

"Shut up!" Ichigo said louder this time, praying that no one was paying attention to their conversation. "It's nothing, I swear!"

"Me doth think he protest too much," Chad pointed out, laughing. **A/N: if I didn't get that right, sorry…**

Keigo looked at the bite mark again. "Hey," he said, looking around. "Was it a girl from school?"

He and Chad quickly looked around and spotted Orihime. Chad grinned and got up before Ichigo could do anything, had brought her to the table.

"What is it?" she asked in a bubbly tone.

Chad and Keigo just stared at her mouth, then back at Ichigo's shoulder. "Never mind," Keigo said disappointedly. Orihime frowned but walked away.

Ichigo glared at them. "Would you two stop? It isn't what you think."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

He only scowled at them. "Look, I've got better things to do than listen to you idiots wondering which girl from the class was the one I slept with," he said.

Keigo's face split into a wide smile. "So it _is_ someone from the class? Chad, line up all the girls!"

"Don't you dare," Ichigo hissed.

Keigo and Chad were still smiling. Ichigo scowled and stood, turning.

He almost walked right into Rukia, who was about to tap his shoulder. She quickly grabbed his arms and took a step back so they wouldn't collide. Ichigo muttered an apology and was about to leave when Keigo suddenly gasped.

The two of them turned. Chad and Keigo were staring at Rukia's hands, which were placed right over the scratch marks. "They fit perfectly," Keigo said in a hushed tone.

Ichigo quickly pushed Rukia's hands off him. "No, they don't!" Rukia just looked at the three of them, confused.

Chad grinned. "Who knew? Eh, Rukia?"

She cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Ichigo grumbled, quickly taking her arm and turning, intending to drag her away before his friends got any more ideas. The sad thing was, they were right, but horribly wrong at the same time.

"Wait, Rukia…" Keigo said, taking her other arm. "What's that on your neck?"

Ichigo quickly looked down at her and stared, horrified. There was a small bruise on the side of it—she had been investigating the vacuum on Saturday, and had accidentally gotten it stuck to her skin. It looked a lot like…

"Is that a hickey?" Keigo asked.

"What's a—" she began.

"NO IT IS NOT!" Ichigo yelled.

Due to his outburst, the whole class turned towards them. The second they saw Ichigo's normally annoyed face slightly flushed and embarrassed, and the way he was holding onto Rukia's arm, they became _very _interested.

"Keigo, I swear, if you don't shut up—" Ichigo forced through gritted teeth.

But his friend ignored him and blurted out to Rukia, "Did you sleep with Ichigo?"

Gasps ran through the class, and before Ichigo could explain what 'sleep with' actually meant, she had answered truthfully, "Yes."

_Kill me NOW_, Ichigo begged as all of the girls' jaws dropped and the boys hooted. Chad and Keigo just smiled and clapped him on the back.

He quickly struck Keigo down with a hook, and Chad was out of reach. "We did not have sex!" he snapped, completely out of patience.

Rukia gaped and exclaimed, "Of course not!"

"But…" Keigo whimpered, holding his jaw, "You just said you did."

"I said that we slept together, as in the same bed," she fumed, advancing on him.

Ichigo quickly grabbed her shoulder—for Keigo's safety. "You two are complete idiots," he growled. "Jumping to conclusions like that just because I have scratch marks on my arms!"

Once the class quieted down, Chad remembered something. "But, what were you doing in Ichigo's bed in the first place?"

Rukia silently cursed. She couldn't tell him that they were living together, so she quickly made up an alibi. "My father is good friends with Mr. Kurosaki, and this weekend he went on vacation, so he let me stay at his house. The room that I was going to stay in had its window broken during the storm in the middle of the night, so   
Ichigo let me stay in his room," she said quickly.

"But, the bite mark, and the scratches…" Keigo questioned.

Ichigo shook his head, letting some of the truth slip into the story. "Rukia doesn't like thunder. I mean, _really_ doesn't like it." He glanced down at Rukia, who gave him an apologetic look.

Thankfully, they didn't question the bruise on her neck—telling the truth would sound like an extremely lame lie and neither of them could think a believable lie for that one. Lunch was over and they quickly resumed class.

After school, Rukia didn't have to go the long way around to get to his house. She walked back with him, but during the middle of it, the cell phone rang and they had to drop everything and chase after a hollow. It was a rather weak one, so it didn't take long to defeat and they quickly reached his house. She did, however, have to climb through the window so his family wouldn't see her. When he entered his room, Rukia had already sat down on the floor and was reading a book.

"Hey, you don't think we'll get caught up in this lie, do you?" Ichigo asked, flopping down on the bed—they hadn't been assigned any homework.

"I don't see why…" Rukia said, still reading the book. "I mean, your friends don't come to your house, do they?"

"Not really, my dad kind of bothers them."

"Then they would have no reason to even so much as talk to him. Actually," Rukia closed the book and turned to him, "I think we should keep using it. Going around the long way just to get here is really annoying, and some guys always hit on me when I pass their street."

Ichigo felt a twang of anger. "Who are these guys?" he asked.

"Just some idiots," Rukia said impatiently. "But, do you think they would believe it if I said that my 'dad' is going to be on 'vacation' for oh, say…five months?"

"Maybe not that long," Ichigo said with a laugh. "But they'll probably forget about it soon, so it might work. You really can't remember who those guys are?"

"No," she stated distractedly, reopening her book. Ichigo scowled and went downstairs to grab some food. When he came back, Rukia was sitting on the edge of bed, still reading. His scowl deepened and he left without her noticing, deciding to watch TV downstairs. His dad was running around, trying to get his attention, but he ignored him.


	5. nightmares&music boxes

Alright, well, I want to say sorry for Chad's major OCC, but I just couldn't remember Ichigo's other friends…I'm absolutely horrible with remembering names.

Anyway, thanks for all the comments, makes me happy, please keep reviewing! PS—I love it when you guys are detailed in your comments, so I know what to fix!

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The next few days passed quickly. Ichigo got better at ignoring his feelings towards Rukia, but she wasn't making it easy for him. Of course, she had gone back to sleeping in the closet, but she continued to pop up just when his guard was down. And of course, he didn't have control of his dreams, which now had a tendency to turn to Rukia—they were never erotic, but that did little to help calm his nerves.

Thankfully Rukia hadn't noticed anything. She acted as she always did. Ichigo was now almost grateful when hollows attacked; he would watch Rukia and remind himself who she was.

During lunch that day, Keigo caught him watching Rukia with an aggravated stare.

"Hey, is she still staying at your house?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo grumbled, facing his friend.

"You don't sound happy about it. If it was me, I'd be ecstatic."

"Well, I'm not you."

"Is she annoying you?"

"Not really…I'm more annoyed with myself than anything."

"What do you mean?" Keigo asked, fiddling with his empty soda can, turning to look at Rukia who was sitting with the girls. He glanced back at Ichigo, who was staring at a small spot on the table. He repeated his question.

Ichigo glanced up. "It's nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Forget I said anything.

"Alright…" Keigo said a little disappointedly.

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That night Ichigo didn't bother changing into pajamas and just stripped off his shirt, lying down on his jeans. They had fought off two hollows just after dinner and Ichigo was exhausted. Rukia probably felt the same way and immediately disappeared into the closet, the door closing with a soft clack.

Ichigo sighed and frowned, realizing he was lying on the wrong side of the bed. Unwilling to move his entire body, he just pulled a pillow over to him using his feet and promptly fell asleep, glad that the bad weather had finally cleared up.

His dreams started out innocent enough, making absolutely no sense whatsoever and being quickly forgotten just as another began. But then Ichigo started tossing on the bed, having been suddenly plunged into a nightmare.

He and Rukia were getting tangled in some sort of black stuff, almost like a sticky web. Ichigo fought with all his strength, cursing loudly and gasping, when he saw Rukia just break free. She turned back to him, but suddenly he was yanked from behind and lost all of the ground he had just regained. Yelling in fury, he reached for the hilt of his sword, but then realized it wasn't there.

"Ichigo!"

He jerked awake, almost knocking his head right into Rukia. She was kneeling on the side of the bed, looking at him anxiously. "Are you alright?"

Ichigo realized that he was panting, his chest heaving. Every inch of him was covered in freezing sweat. Calming slightly, he said, "Yeah…it was just a dream…"

"It must have been intense, you were yelling and swearing. You were even moving around a bit, nearly punched me in the nose when I leaned over you." Rukia relaxed, seeing her partner was fine.

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled, looking around. The clock read 1 in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and crawled to the right side of the bed so he could get under the covers—and wipe the sweat off him.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he said with a yawn. "Go to bed, Rukia."

She only frowned at him and slipped into the closet.

Ichigo watched the door close. He was stupidly pleased that she had been worried about him.

The next night, it was Rukia's turn to have nightmares. She woke up, frightened, then calmed down when she found herself in familiar surroundings. It happened the night after that also, containing even worse imagery. On the third night she awoke with a small scream, clutching the blanket. Within seconds, the door was flung open. Rukia prepared herself to apologize but was surprised that he looked worried.

"What is it?"

"Same thing you had," she whispered, sighing. These nightmares gave her no times to rest, and she was tired.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. Ichigo returned to bed.

The next day in school Rukia feel asleep in class. Ichigo watched her, hesitating to wake her up. But then he realized it was another nightmare because of her sudden whimpers and gently shook her shoulder. Rukia jumped awake, almost falling out of her chair. She gave a weak smile to Ichigo and blinked sleepily, turning her attention to the teacher.

That night, she awoke with a scream again. This time Ichigo didn't even bother asking what was wrong and picked her up—much to her surprise—and placed her in the bed. He then left for something downstairs and when he came back, Rukia saw that it was a music box. He set it on the desk and he stretched out at the foot of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Rukia questioned.

"Trying to fall asleep," he mumbled, scratching his head.

"Get in bed," she ordered.

Ichigo only rolled over, doing his very best to ignore what that could have meant if Rukia was his.

Rukia frowned. "Ichigo, please." He ground his teeth together. "Come on, it'll help me sleep. It did last time." He crossed his arms. _Ignore her, ignore her, ignore her! _"Ichigo," Rukia said, her tone now getting annoyed, "I am not sleeping in this bed without being able to hold on to someone."

_Ignore her! She doesn't mean it like that, stop thinking like that! Gah, I'm totally dirty-minded! _"Hug the pillow," he huffed.

"Ichigo," she said dangerously. "If you don't come here, I'll just over there."

He quickly scrambled over to her side of the bed. He didn't think he could handle the sight over Rukia crawling over to him on his own bed. "There, you happy?" he snapped, keeping as much space between them as possible.

"No," she said, irritated. "What's the matter with you? You were fine the other night." She slid over so that there were few inches between them. "See? I didn't bite you."

_You did the other night…Stop that. _He shook his head. "I'd just rather not get punched in the middle of the night while you thrash around."

"I won't," she said, scooting even closer. When it came to things like this, she didn't care about awkward positions. She grabbed his arms and placed them around her back. "See? If you hold me I won't move."

Ichigo didn't know whether he wanted to scream at her for being such an idiot—and driving him absolutely crazy—or just discreetly cop a feel. He decided to do neither because the first would wake his family and the second would get his hand ripped off, and he liked his hand. So he grumbled and reached over Rukia, flipping open the music box. It began playing the lullaby that Ichigo had hummed to her on her first night of nature induced terror, and she smiled.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Ichigo nodded stiffly, praying that he wouldn't suddenly get excited and Rukia would feel him pressing against her thigh.

_Doesn't know what she does to me…_

Hours later, Ichigo was awoken by Rukia's small cry. He wearily glanced over and saw she was still asleep and her face was scrunched up in fear. His expression softened and he gently wrapped one arm around her, pulling her against his chest. "Shh…it's okay."

She woke up and curled up against him, breathing into his neck, "Thank you."

He smiled and patted her head. "Just go to sleep." _And _please _don't squirm._

When she closed her eyes, Ichigo could feel her eyelashes brush against his collarbone. He shuddered and bit the inside of his cheek, an irritated smile formed on his lips. _Just what I need…another long night._


	6. Why arn't you wearing clothes?

Thanks again for all your comments, really. Keep 'em coming! And guys, I'm not afraid of insults, or critism. I need that.

Anyway, here you go, more torture of Ichigo. And no, his head won't explode, I promise.

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But surprisingly, he slept perfectly. Rukia's nightmares calmed while she was wrapped in Ichigo's arms, her very own security blanket with a permanent scowl. She woke up lying on her back with Ichigo on top of her, snoring just slightly. She didn't mind, the pressure was comforting and his body was nice and warm—strengthening her comparison to a blanket. And he did have a scowl on his face, as always.

Rukia smiled and decided to back to sleep since it was Saturday. So she shifted so she was even closer to his warmth and settled down.

Ichigo woke a little time later and yawned, pushing himself up. He opened his eyes and was quite sure he was still dreaming. After realizing that he wasn't, Ichigo closed his eyes. Why did this always happen? Always! Could he just have one day when his first thought of the day wasn't Rukia?

Irritated, he let out an aggravated growl, glaring down at her.

Rukia only shifted in her sleep, looking more innocent than ever. Ichigo sighed. What the hell…who could it hurt? He shook his head and leaned in quickly kissing her jaw. He waited, but she didn't stir. He wanted to do it again, but he decided against it. Ichigo stared at her, then began to remove himself from the bed.

Kissing her felt good. He wanted more than just that, but…he wouldn't push it. When he returned from the shower, Rukia was just waking up. "Sleep better?" he asked, avoiding her eyes. She nodded, rubbing her eyelids. "Look, my father is out of town and both my sisters are at sleepovers, so the bath is free."

Rukia's eyes lit up and she quickly bounced out of the room. Ichigo shook his head and grinned. Ever since she had moved in Rukia was having problems finding time to take showers, usually having to do them in the middle of the night.

Since he didn't have any homework to do or anything else in mind, Ichigo only crawled back into bed with a book. He flipped idly through the pages, trying to remember his place in it, then chose a random page. Realizing he had no idea what was going on, he sighed and started at the front cover.

He could hear the bathwater pounding into the tub through the wall and had to struggle to keep the image of Rukia slipping into the warm water with just enough bubbles to hide her body. Obviously, it took him a while to return to his reading.

Suddenly he heard the front door open and jerked his head up. His dad was home?!

Rukia had heard it too and dashed into the room, closing the door with a slam. Ichigo had already decided to keep his head down when she came in—but he was already looking at the door, and got a full view of Rukia—flushed, dripping, with a towel hastily wrapped around herself and a small colony of bubbles clinging to her hair and shoulder.

Ichigo seriously wondered whether or not this was even possible. How many times in the last two weeks had he seen in a clearly sexual atmosphere? He quickly calculated: lets see, there was the first two nights and the time she climbed through his window soaking wet…then when his friends accused him of sleeping with her…and last night…counting this time…that made it many too many.

Rukia's eyes avoided Ichigo as she leaned against the wall, clutching her towel. "Find out what he's doing," she said.

"Uh…right!" Ichigo hopped up and hurried out the door. He went down the stairs, expecting to see his father, but only saw a book with a note on it by the front door. He crouched down and picked it up, reading "Thank you Kurosaki for letting me borrow the book, it was a good read!—Kyo"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Kyo was one of his dad's friends. He placed the book on the living room table and tromped up the stairs, saying as he opened his door, "Don't worry, Rukia, it was a neighbor…" he looked up and saw Rukia was still in her towel. "Rukia…why don't you have clothes on?" he asked in a tight voice.

"Well, I didn't have time to grab any from your sister's room," Rukia said with a shrug. Ichigo noticed that she didn't even seem to realize she only had a thin piece of white cotton between him and her very appealing body at the moment. "But I guess I'll go get them now…so much for my bath." She began to move to the door.

As she passed him, Ichigo raised his hand, "You got some bubbles in your hair…" he said. He didn't realize it at the moment, but his movement brought him up to Rukia's chest as he gently brushed at her hair.

Rukia gave him a thanks and went to move, when Ichigo suddenly flinched away, realizing what he had just thought about doing. "Are you alright?" she asked, startled.

"Fine," he grumbled, turning away from her.

"Alright…" she gave him an odd look and left the room.

Ichigo shook his head like a dog after a swim. He wondered what would have happened if he had acted on impulse…what would Rukia have done? He wanted to find out, but would it be worth it?

Ichigo didn't really get a chance to think about that, they had to deal with three hollows that day. Both of them were in a bad mood by the end of the day and exhausted. Ichigo quickly threw some food together for him and Rukia and wolfed it down, then wearily flopped down in bed. He was surprised to feel Rukia snuggle up next to him, but he only grunted and shifted so she had more room. He could tell she was grinning in triumph and only rolled onto his back, wrapping an arm around her, too tired to feel guilty.

That night, it was Ichigo who had nightmares. He slept fitfully, quickly waking Rukia as he tossed in bed. She sat up and shook his arm, but he only jerked it away from her, his face a mixture of fury and fear. "Ichigo!" she snapped, leaning away from him so she wouldn't be hit. "Wake up!"

He jerked up, breathing heavily. His eyes darted around the room as his chest heaved and they landed on Rukia. He stared at her for a moment and she asked, "Are you alright?"

"Fine…" he muttered. "Fine, just a dream." He wiped his arm across his forehead and sighed, closing his eyes. He fell back onto the bed, but he could feel Rukia's eyes on him. "Rukia, I'm fine, don't worry." He felt her warm body snuggle up to him and suppressed a shiver.


	7. cerial&boxers

Hey guys! I love all the compliments you give me! If you like my writings so much, try reading some of my other fanfictions. I wrote one for Naruto, and another for Samurai Champloo. Well, read and enjoy!

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When Ichigo awoke, he saw Rukia sitting on the edge of the bed, her face slightly troubled. He mumbled out her name, and she turned to him. "What's wrong?" he yawned.

"Ichigo, don't you think it's weird that we're both getting these nightmares?" she asked, frowning.

He shrugged. "Everyone gets them, Rukia. There's nothing weird about it." He yawned again and sat up, scratching his head and trying to blink the sleep from his eyes.

"I guess, but…" she sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. Is your dad still away?" she asked.

"Yeah, he shouldn't be home until tomorrow." Ichigo rolled out of bed and shuffled out of the room. He entered the kitchen and poured some cereal in a bowl. It crunched loudly as he ate, so he didn't hear Rukia come up behind him.

"Hey, Ichigo?"

"Mph?" he set down his bowl and turned around while Rukia said, "I hope you don't mind, but don't you think that it would be better if I…"

Ichigo didn't register the rest of her words, he was too busy staring. Rukia was standing in front of him, dressed in his favorite black button-up. It was much too big for her, it was slipping slightly down her shoulder and her hands had completely vanished. Under it, barely visible because of the length, was a pair of Ichigo's boxers hanging precariously on her slim hips.

He gulped. This was his favorite fantasy, and Rukia was just standing there, completely oblivious.

She kept talking, and Ichigo blinked, his eyes jerking up away from her body. His eyes moved to her lips, as they always did when someone was talking. He saw her tiny hand reach up and push some of her hair behind her ear. He forgot the rules he had made.

Ichigo really didn't know what he did, but suddenly he was standing, one arm pulling Rukia to him, the other bracing himself on the wall, his mouth assaulting her own. Rukia gasped in shock, and he took advantage of it, letting his tongue dart in and roam her mouth.

Rukia jerked back, but Ichigo only gently pressed her to the wall, his hand threading through her hair, oblivious to her stiffness of her body and her feeble protests. He wasn't really aware what he was doing, but he didn't need to and just acted as his body told him, so he kissed her senseless until all his frustrations were out. And of course, Ichigo had plenty to be frustrated about.

Finally, Ichigo realized what he was doing and broke away, breathing heavy. Rukia was staring at him with those big eyes, full of shock, confusion, and a bit of a dazed look.

"Ichi...go…?"

He quickly took a step back, removing his hand from her hair. He looked ashamed and guilty. "Rukia, I'm sorry."

"…Ichigo." She looked down and leaned against the wall, running two fingers over her swollen lips.

"I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that," he said quickly, backing up.

"Ichigo," Rukia repeated, a little more firmly.

"Rukia, really, I didn't mean, I shouldn't have, this—"

"_Ichigo_, calm down," she said, looking at him. She still looked a little shocked and confused, but the eyes that were on him were firm.

"But—"

"Its _okay, _Ichigo."

Ichigo stopped and stared at her. "What?" he asked stupidly.

"It's alright." Her face was slightly red. "Ichigo…you're a good friend, and you've been good to me. I didn't mind."

"Oh, sure, like you wouldn't mind if I pinned you to the wall without any warning and just started making out with you again," Ichigo snapped, caught off guard by her words and ashamed of himself.

He didn't miss the embarrassed blush on her cheeks as her eyes dropped his.

He gaped at her. "Rukia, you couldn't possibly…"

She looked at him, but her cheeks were still pink. "What?"

A smirk came to his lips. "You liked that, didn't you?" he accused, now realizing that she really_ didn't_ mind that he had kissed her, and was now pretty pleased with himself.

"I wouldn't say 'liked'…" Rukia said hurriedly. Ichigo smiled again. He had never seen Rukia flustered or embarrassed to this extent.

"Oh really?" he questioned, taking a few steps forward. "Then…why can't you stop staring at my lips?"

Rukia blinked, then quickly looked at his eyes. "I was not!"

"Rukia, don't lie."

Her jaw tightened, irritated with herself. She wasn't used to being teased, least of all by Ichigo. "Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Because you're embarrassed and don't want to admit that you're attracted to me," Ichigo prodded.

Rukia looked away. She had noticed how close he had gotten again. Sure, she knew he was slightly attractive, but she had never been _attracted to_ him. The only feelings that she had for him was a complicated friendship and partnership, nothing more. But, she thought as she saw Ichigo lean down, she could make some if it was for Ichigo. She mused as his lips gently met hers, reveling at how such a good kisser he was.

Yeah. She could already feel something timidly blooming in her chest. It was small, but it was there, and it was all for Ichigo.

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Don't worry, that isn't the end. Hm…I'm not sure about this chapter, I don't think I'm good at love scenes, but whatever. Thanks again for reading!!


	8. I'm not going to bite

Rukia looked away. She had noticed how close he had gotten again. Sure, she knew he was slightly attractive, but she had never been _attracted to_ him. The only feelings that she had for him was a complicated friendship and partnership, nothing more. But, she thought as she saw Ichigo lean down, she could make some if it was for Ichigo. She mused as his lips gently met hers, reveling at how such a good kisser he was.

Yeah. She could already feel something timidly blooming in her chest. It was small, but it was there, and it was all for Ichigo.

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This time the kiss was quick and gentle, and when Ichigo pulled away, he was grinning like an idiot.

"What?" Rukia asked, self-conscious.

"I never realized how short you were," he said, smirking a bit. "I nearly have to bend in half to kiss you."

Rukia made a face, then suddenly fisted her hands in his shirt and yanked him down, kissing him. "You'll just have to get used to it," she whispered, feeling him smile against her mouth.

The doorbell rang, and Rukia started to pull away, but Ichigo scowled and wrapped his arms around her, saying gruffly, "Ignore it."

Rukia nodded, feeling him kiss her once again. The doorbell rang again, but it fell on deaf ears. Without warning they heard the door slam open, and Rukia gave a small yelp and Ichigo quickly released her.

Keigo bounced into the room, calling, "Ichigo! Oh, there you are! Hey Rukia!"

Ichigo glared at him with enough intensity that it seemed impossible that Keigo's skin didn't melt. He cocked his head, "What? I just wanted to know if you—hey, Rukia, where are you going?"

She had quickly walked past him and hurried up the stairs, not glancing back. Ichigo watched her go, unsure of what he was feeling. Keigo quickly turned to him and gasped in a quiet voice, "Was she wearing your clothes?"

"Keigo, what the hell do you want?" Ichigo demanded.

"Was she wearing your clothes?" he asked, awestruck.

"Yes, she was," Ichigo snapped. "We live in the same house. Our clothes got mixed up."

"But, why was she wearing your _boxers_?"

"Keigo," Ichigo gritted out, suddenly feeling very irritated with his loud friend, "what did you come here for?"

He looked like he wanted to continue questioning Ichigo, but the edge to Ichigo's voice made him stop. "Anyway…I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the movies with us…but…you're busy," Keigo raised an eyebrow, "so never mind."

"And you couldn't have called," Ichigo demanded.

"Hello Keigo!" a bright voice said from the top of the stairs.

Both of the guys turned to see Rukia, wearing a dress with that fake smile on her face, the kind she always used at school. "What are you doing here?" she asked politely, cocking her head. "You said something about the movies?"

"Erm…yeah," Keigo said. "Actually, why don't you come too?"

"I didn't agree on going," Ichigo said quietly.

But then Mizuiro and Tatsuki walked in the room. "Keigo, what's taking so long?" Tatsuki asked in an irritated tone. "Is he coming or not?"

Ichigo glanced at Rukia, who wasn't looking at him, then turned to Keigo. "Yeah…if you pay."

"Hey, no fair!" Keigo said, scowling.

Ichigo grinned, "Cough up or I'm not going."

"Fine," Keigo grumbled. Tatsuki rolled her eyes and walked out of the door, Mizuiro following her. Keigo bounced out behind them and Ichigo trailed him, feeling Rukia at his back.

All the way, Ichigo and Rukia didn't so much as look at each other. It didn't help that Keigo kept glancing at them, as if he expected Ichigo to suddenly jump on top of Rukia. Tatsuki told him that they were going to see an action movie; it was supposed to be really good. After they bought their tickets, Ichigo offered to buy the snacks, and to his surprise Rukia said she would help.

They stood in line as the rest of the group shuffled off, and Ichigo glanced down at Rukia. She was looking pointedly away from him, but he could still see that her cheeks had a slight pink tinge.

He rocked on his heels and said, "So…"

Rukia looked up at him, her face guarded.

"Rukia, you've got to help me out a little here." Ichigo hesitated, then decided to go for it. "You let me kiss you, and you kiss me back, but then you run away. Not exactly good for a guy's ego."

"I…" Rukia looked away, wishing that she just went with the others. "I was just a little…shocked. I wasn't expecting it."

"But—"

Ichigo was interrupted when the cashier asked him what he wanted. He ordered their food and he and picked it up. He and Rukia walked back to the group in silence, but as they passed the restrooms Rukia slipped into the ladies' room. As Ichigo neared the group, he heard Keigo saying excitedly, "—and when I walked in they were standing really close, and Rukia was blushing!"

"Rukia doesn't blush," Tatsuki said, but still listened intently.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks. They hadn't seen him yet.

Keigo continued, "But that's not it! Rukia was wearing his shirt, and his bo—"

"Hey guys!" Ichigo said quickly, stepping right up behind Keigo. "I've got your food…" he said. Keigo's face paled and he looked terribly guilty. "What were you talking about?" he asked causally, cocking his head at Keigo and smiling. "What's wrong? You look sick."

"No, I'm fine," he said weakly, shrinking away from his smile.

"Anyway," Tatsuki stepped in, "We're in theater three. Where's Rukia?"

"Bathroom."

"Alright, I'll wait for her."

The three guys walked into theater three, taking seats in the back. Tatsuki and Rukia quickly appeared, and in the chaotic passing of popcorn, sodas, and getting their seats, somehow Keigo had gotten Rukia in his seat, right next to Ichigo. Ichigo sighed and put his hand to his face. Mizuiro said, "Oh, sorry, Ichigo, Rukia, there's only one drink left. You don't mind sharing, do you?"

"Mizuiro, isn't there one right on your other side?" Rukia questioned.

"Oh, yeah, what do you know…" he said weakly, and passed it to her.

"Idiots," Ichigo muttered under his breath.

The previews started, and the second the lights went down, Keigo turned quickly to Ichigo and Rukia. Tatsuki slapped him upside the head and hissed, "Stop it, your making a fool out of yourself." He winced and turned to the screen.

After a few minuets, Ichigo leaned in and whispered, "Rukia, why did you come?"

"Because there was nothing better to do," she said simply.

"I think we should continue our conversation," Ichigo said.

Rukia didn't respond.

"Rukia, the way you're acting I don't think your okay with it, no matter what you said before."

She turned to him. "Alright, so I'm embarrassed!" She kept her voice quiet, "The first time we kiss, and suddenly we get walked in on! As if this wasn't awkward enough, now we have Keigo watching us every second as if trying to catch us doing something dirty!"

"Just ignore him. It isn't his fault he's a complete pervert. Is that—"

"He has his cell phone out, I think he's taking pictures."

Ichigo whipped around, and sure enough, Keigo was just stuffing something into his pocket. Ichigo took a deep breath and leaned over Tatsuki and said dangerously in Keigo's ear, "If I catch you looking anywhere but the screen one more time, I swear, Keigo. Don't think just because we're friends I won't cripple you."

He nodded tightly, and Ichigo removed himself. "Better?"

"A little," Rukia admitted. She hesitated, then cautiously leaned against Ichigo's shoulder.

"I'm not going to bite," he said, amused.

"Shut up," she grumbled.

When the movie ended, they all trooped out of the theater. They were laughing and making fun of some of the ridiculous, yet cool, stunts. Ichigo grinned as Tatsuki made fun of one of the actor's accent, but suddenly he noticed Rukia stiffen. He looked at her, and noticed that there was some guy hitting on her. She was frowning, obviously uncomfortable.

Ichigo walked over and settled his arm around Rukia's shoulders, making her jump. The guy looked up, scowling. "Is he bothering you?" he asked calmly, though glared at the other guy.

Rukia shook her head, leaning into him. "He was just leaving."

He scowled and slouched off. "Thanks," Rukia said gratefully.

When they turned around, they saw that their three friends were watching them with interest, and Keigo was saving pictures on his cell phone. "Keigo…" Ichigo began.

"No, it's alright," Rukia said in a small voice. Ichigo shrugged, removing his arm. Rukia moved her weight off him, but still stood close.

"You guys want to come over my house?" Mizuiro asked. "Since we have the vacation from school, let's celebrate with corny movies and popcorn!"

Tatsuki groaned, "We just did that, if you didn't notice."

"But you know you'll have fun!"

"Yeah, alright."

Ichigo glanced at Rukia, who looked unsure. "Hollows," she said quietly.

"We can still take care of them, we'll just have to make an excuse."

"Well…alright…"

The troop marched off to Mizuiro's house.

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Hm…not really happy with how this chapter came out, it was hard to write. Oh well. I guess I just miss Ichigo's torture. Oh, and if you're checking every day for updates, you should know by now I take at least a couple of days to update. So please no threatening comments…


	9. Chapter 9

Some of you guys are mentioning how I'm not keeping my characters in, well, character. I want to defend myself my saying of course Ichigo and Rukia have a case of OCC! Ichigo just started randomly making out with Rukia, so of course things are going to be a little weird. I haven't gotten very far in the series, and so far I haven't seen any of them in romantic situations, so I'm writing them how I think they would react. There—rant over. Read and enjoy.

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The walk to his house didn't take long, and they watched some hilarious comedy movie. But when it was over, it was still only lunch time, so the passed the time playing classic games like charades—which they had to stop after Keigo fell over the back of the couch and hit his head while miming a ballerina—and trivia games on recent movies—Rukia did horribly, for obvious reasons. Keigo had found a twister mat somewhere, but no one trusted him in that game, so Ichigo and Mizuiro had to overpower him while Rukia and Tatsuki rushed off to hide the matt somewhere.

As it started to get dark, the cloudy weather turned rainy and windy. Ichigo and Rukia were getting ready to go before the storm got worse, when suddenly the lights went out. Ichigo cursed loudly as the others hurriedly tried the lights switches—no luck. "You have got to be kidding me!" Ichigo groaned, putting a hand to his face. The room was almost completely dark, it getting lighter only slightly by the window.

"I'll go get the flashlights and some candles…" Mizuiro muttered, stumbling slightly out of the room.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered, tugging his sleeve. "How will we leave now if a hollow attacks?" she asked urgently.

"Crap, your right. They'll want us to stay here—"

There was the crack of lightning, and Rukia yelped, practically jumping on top of Ichigo. He stumbled backwards, his feet hit the back of the couch, and toppled over it, Rukia still clinging to him. He gave a small yelp of his own as his head connected solidly with the hardwood floor and lay there, dazed.

"Ichigo! What happened?" Mizuiro dashed in, fumbling with a flashlight and waved it around like a light-saber, trying to find him. The light blared in Ichigo's eyes and he turned away, groaning.

The rest of the group stared at them, most of them laughing but confused, and in Keigo's case whipping out his cell phone.

"Rukia…get off me," Ichigo coughed.

She shook her head, burying her face into his shoulder as a second crack sounded. "Rukia…off!"

She bit her lip and sat up, still straddling him and looking terrified. Ichigo did an awkward shimmy to get out from under her and helped her up. "Mizuiro, does your phone still work?"

"I'm not sure…" he swung the flashlight around and searched for the phone, passing it to Ichigo. He clicked a button and was relieved to hear a dial tone. "Is it alright if we spend the night?" he asked.

His friend nodded, saying, "Actually, I think you all should stay over, it wouldn't be safe to go home during a thunder storm."

Ichigo punched in his home number and waited as it rang. His sister Karin picked it up. "Hey, Karin? It's me, Ichigo. Could you tell dad that I'll be staying over at Mizuiro's until the storm lets up?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, and hung up.

Ichigo gave the phone to Tatsuki so she could call her parents and gently removed Rukia's current talon like hands from his arms. She ducked her head, looking irritated at herself but terrified at the same time.

Ichigo sighed and sat down on the couch, Rukia beside him. She was biting her lip and trying her best not to cling to the closet thing possible, but her hand still had a vice-like grip on Ichigo's arm. He frowned down at her, wishing he could comfort her but not knowing how.

Once everyone had called their parents, Mizuiro passed out blankets and lay out on the floor. Keigo and Tatsuki glanced at each other, then lunged for the chair. Keigo got their first, but Tatsuki easily pulled him off and settled down, smiling like a pleased cat. Rukia give a small smile as Keigo glowered and pulled his blanket over his face, but dived against Ichigo as another thunderclap shook the house.

Ichigo sighed and gently stroked her hair, using his other hand to pull the blanket they had been given over her. He blinked, noticing the blanket had little flowers all over it and passed Mizuiro an odd look, but he wasn't looking his way.

As Rukia drew away, Ichigo slipped off the couch and stretched out. Rukia watched him with her big eyes, confused. Ichigo was about to explain when he glanced around. He pushed himself and whispered, "We won't both fit on the couch." He rather not let his friends know that they usually slept together, not just the one time he had told them about.

She chocked her head. "Yes we can."

"Rukia, just go to sleep."

Rukia frowned at him and Ichigo felt a pang of guilt, but he shook his head and rolled onto his side. After a few minuets, Ichigo realized he wouldn't be able to go to sleep. His body felt cold, and his arms didn't feel right lying by his sides. He closed his eyes and sighed, his fingers itching to hold Rukia.

He was quickly relieved when thunder sounded and Rukia jumped so suddenly she fell off the couch right onto Ichigo's chest. He groaned loudly and Tatsuki threw a pillow at him, muttering to be quiet. He threw it back and quickly soothed Rukia, moving to the couch even with her on top of him. He rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket around them both, lying on his side. With both of them on the couch it was a tight fit, but that suited Rukia fine. She snuggled up to Ichigo and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling herself even closer, making him blush slightly. Ichigo ignored his awkwardness and wrapped one arm around her small body.

Just as morning was coming, Ichigo was woken by an annoying buzzing. He grumbled and sat up, Rukia's arms slipping off him. Mizuiro grumbled and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head. With a jolt he realized what it was and shook Rukia, whipping the blanket off them.

She noticed the sound and quickly dug in her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. "It's just around the corner," she said, and jumped to her feet. Ichigo followed her out the door and they hid his body in some bushes down the road. They raced down the street and clashed with a small hollow. Ichigo quickly dispersed it and stood there, panting. He turned to look at Rukia and saw the sun was just rising. He cursed and ran back to his body, then he and Rukia rushed back to Mizuiro's house. They went back to the room where everyone was sleeping, Rukia taking the couch and Ichigo lying down on the floor.

A few minuets later the two heard someone in the kitchen, making breakfast. Soon a delicious smell of pancakes filled the air and Mizuiro's mother stepped into the room and loudly said to wake up, wearing a large smile. Ichigo and Rukia sat up, Ichigo giving Keigo a swift kick. He jumped and stood, then quickly bounced into the kitchen once he smelled food. Tatsuki stirred and opened her eyes, and Mizuiro was already following Keigo.

As Rukia and Ichigo followed Tatsuki, she rubbed her eyes tiredly and muttered, "Ugh, what a nightmare."

Rukia froze and Ichigo almost walked into her. Without explaining anything, she suddenly grabbed the front of Ichigo's shirt, said "Sorry, Mizuiro, we've got to go. _Now," _and dragged Ichigo out the door.

"Rukia w-what are you doing?" Ichigo demanded, jerking out of her grip and walking beside her.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!" Rukia scolded herself. "It was right in front of me the whole time!"

"_What _was in front of you the whole time?"

"It's a hollow!" Rukia burst out. "That's what has been causing all these nightmares!"

"Rukia, how is that possible?" Ichigo asked, struggling to keep up with her quick walk even with his long legs.

"It doesn't hunt like normal hollows, it's too weak to outright attack its victim," she explained. "Instead, it weakens people with high spirit energy by keeping them from sleeping with nightmares. It's a bit famous, actually, because no one's been able to corner it since we can't track it."

"Why can't you track it?"

"Because it isn't a normal hollow. Look, it isn't that complicated."

Ichigo thought the opposite, but kept his opinion to himself. "So how do we catch it?"

Rukia explained it all out to him, and they waited for dark. Since they were pretty sure it would still be hanging around Ichigo's house, they had a kind of stake-out on a neighbor's roof. As soon as it got dark and his sisters went to sleep, they didn't have to wait long.

One of the ugliest hollows Ichigo had ever seen materialized on his roof, shuffling around on six legs and whipping a barb-like tail around in agitation once it realized it's usual victims weren't in bed sleeping.

Ichigo leaped over and slashed at it, but it sensed him and whirled around, catching him in the stomach with its tail. Grunting, Ichigo fell back and rolled to the side as its tail slammed down like a mace by his head. Ichigo sprung up and managed to get a slice in the tail, only to be struck aside by one of the legs. He grunted and quickly regained his balance, hefting his sword and using it protect him as the tail came whizzing out to meet him. As it struck off the blade, he switched his grip and sliced down. There was a piercing screech that made Ichigo flinch as the tail thudded sickeningly down. He grit his teeth and met the hollow as it spun around in agony, smashing through its mask.

Rukia congratulated him as the hollow dissipated and Ichigo stuck his sword into the ground. He let himself grin and called, "I'm kind of disappointed! Wasn't that supposed to be the big bad nightmare master?"

She made a face. "Nice nickname. Now let's get inside before we freeze." She disappeared into his window. Ichigo rolled his eyes and followed her, slipping back into his body once he got inside his room. He pulled off his shirt and went over to his bed, then stopped. "Rukia, you don't need to sleep in my bed anymore, there won't be any more nightmares."

"I like sleeping here," she stated, and proved her point by pulling the blankets up.

Ichigo shook his head and crawled in beside her. As he took her into his arms, he said, "You, I might actually miss them…"

Rukia sighed. "What, going to miss when I clung to you in fear? Don't worry, there are still lightning storms to look forward to," she said sarcastically.

Ichigo laughed. "I think I prefer you just like this."

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End

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There you go! My MTLCS series is finished. Please comment, whether it be negative or positive. And thank you all for reading! If you want, please tell me which part was your favorite in your reviews.


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